Grand Valley Local School District
Administrative Guidelines
 

7440B - METAL DETECTOR SEARCH PROCEDURES

The Superintendent shall be responsible for the monitoring and enforcement of regulations relative to metal detector electronic search procedures. The Superintendent shall have the authority to request metal detector searches, and electronic searches shall not be conducted in the absence of such request.

The purpose of the metal detector search is to discourage students from bringing weapons into the schools. Accordingly, metal detectors may be used at District schools and school-related functions of such schools, on a random and periodic basis.

All students, staff members, and visitors entering schools and school-related functions of such schools are subject to search.

Metal detector searches will be conducted by trained personnel using magnetometers (also known as walk-through metal detectors) and hand-held scanning devices, and monitored by principal.

 A.Students and visitors shall not be informed in advance regarding the specific dates on which, or the locations where, metal detector searches will occur.
 B.Prior to a metal detector search being conducted, a sign or signs announcing a search for weapons shall be posted, on the day of the metal detector search, outside the school or school-related function, at a main entrance or entrances.
 C.When a metal detector is being used, students, staff members, and visitors will be permitted to use only designated entrances to the school or school-related function. District staff may be stationed at other entrances, as necessary, to prevent students, staff members, and visitors from opening those entrances to admit others into the building or school-related function.
 D.All students, staff members, and visitors entering the school or school-related function are subject to search although those conducting the search and/or principal monitoring the search may choose to limit the search by any lawful random formula. For example, if the lines become too long, the search may be limited to every second or third person. Once a random formula is utilized, it shall be applied without deviation until it is ended by order of the principal. A random formula shall not be ended to ensure the search of a particular student or person.
 E.The trained personnel and principal are prohibited from selecting a particular student or person to electronic search unless there is a reasonable suspicion to believe that the student or person is in possession of a weapon.
 F.Prior to use in conducting an electronic search pursuant to these guidelines, each electronic search device to be used shall be examined by a person familiar with their operation to determine if they are in proper working order. An electronic search device shall not be used if there is any question as to whether it is in proper working order.
 G.Each person operating an electronic search device shall be trained in the proper use of the device and the detection of any malfunction in the operation of the instrument. Adjustments in the settings of the device shall only be made by trained personnel.
 H.As to each individual search, principal will ask the student or person to remove all metal objects from his/her person and to place the metal objects and any bags, backpacks, briefcases, knapsacks, purses, or parcels on a table. With the exception of contraband in plain view, police officers may not inspect items in which a weapon could not be concealed, and may not examine written materials. The principal shall monitor each electronic search for compliance with these guidelines.
 I.The student or person will then be asked to walk through the magnetometer (i.e., walk-through metal detector). If the metal detector activates, s/he will be asked a second time to remove metal objects from his/her person and to walk-through the magnetometer a second time.
 J.If the walk-through metal detector activates a second time, the principal is to approach the student or person and explain the hand-held scanning device process, and then conduct a scanning beginning at the toes and continuing up to the head without intentionally touching the body. The bags and parcels will also be scanned. The principal shall monitor each electronic search for compliance with these guidelines.
 K.When a student's, staff member's, and visitor's bag or parcel activates the scanning device, the principal is to request him/her to open the container in question so that the officer can look for weapons.
 L.If a student's, staff member's, or visitor's body activates the device, the principal will repeat the request to remove metal objects. A second hand-held scanning device scan will then be conducted and if the device is activated again, the principal will escort the student or person to a private area where a more thorough search will be conducted in accord with AG 5771 on searches of a student's body.
 M.Prior to the private search, the principal must ask the student, staff member, or visitor again to remove all objects from his/her person, then the search will begin near the place where the device was activated. This is a pat-down search of outer clothing only, conducted by a person of the same gender, geared to locate the item which triggered the scanning device. The principal shall monitor this search for compliance with these guidelines.
 N.If principal feels an object during the pat-down, the student, staff member, or visitor will be given a chance to remove it before the principal does. If such an object, once removed, appears to be the one which activated the device, the search ceases.
 O.The search can be continued only if a subsequent scan activates the device.
 P.The search is directed to a search for weapons, however, other contraband discovered in the course of an electronic search or pat down may also be removed from any student.
 Q.All property removed from the student as a result of the above procedures which may be legitimately brought on school premises or to school functions will be returned to the student. All other property will not be returned to the student.
 R.Property removed from the student or the student's bags or parcels, possession of which is a violation of the Code of Conduct/Discipline Code school rules, Board policy and administrative guidelines, and/or the law, shall cause a student to be disciplined in accordance with the Code of Conduct/Discipline Code and may subject the student to criminal prosecution and/or juvenile proceedings for violations of law.
 S.If student refuses to cooperate with the pat down search, the trained personnel is to notify the principal, administrator, or District staff member who is stationed nearby to monitor the search. Such students shall be subject to the Code of Conduct/Discipline Code. Refusal shall also be grounds for immediate removal from school, facilities, and/or grounds and further discipline.
 T.Nothing in the procedures set forth above shall limit the authority of the District and District staff to remove other contraband from a student, and to otherwise search a student when there is reasonable suspicion to believe that a particular student is in possession of an article or thing, the possession of which constitutes inappropriate behavior under the Code of Conduct/Discipline Code.
 U.A copy of the Metal Detector Search Procedures shall be available to each person and principal who will in any way be involved with the conducting and/or monitoring of searches.